Leftover Egg Yolks? Make Sugar Cookies!

I'm off to San Francisco in an hour, for a nice long visit with friends and family (I finally get to meet my first niece!) and a wee vacay, but I wanted to get a quicky post in before I disappear for a week or two.

So, remember that promise I made in the meringue post about a use for the leftover yolks?  Well, I'm going to deliver!  These sugar cookies are easy and quick, and best of all, they use egg yolks in place of whole eggs, which is not only convenient but also delicious and rich and chewy.

Since I discovered this basic recipe (which was only a few weeks ago), I've already made these twice!  The second time I added the zest of two rapidly-shriveling oranges from our neglected fruit bowl, and the cookies came out even tastier: citrusy and sweet at the same time.

So if you're making something that calls for egg whites, and you don't want to waste the yolks, this is a great recipe to have on hand.  It's adaptable and easy and a total crowd-pleaser!

PS If you don't want to use your egg yolks right away, they'll keep in the fridge for a day or two if you put them in an airtight container with a bit of sugar mixed in to stabilize them.

Egg Yolk Sugar Cookies:

     from Allrecipes

Preheat oven to 350F/175C and lightly grease or line 2 cookies sheets.

In a large bowl, cream together until fluffy: 

     1 1/4 c white sugar 

     1 c (225g) butter, rm temp

Beat in: 

     3 egg yolks 

     1 tsp vanilla 

Mix together and add to egg mixture: 

     2.5 c flour 

     1 tsp baking soda 

     1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place on cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Bake in preheated oven until just golden and cracked, about 10-12 minutes.